Taurus Domesticis

Of the various Taurus species on Ymir, the Taurus Domesticis is the only domesticated species so far, a fact made even more impressive by the fact the animals initially domesticated themselves. Nowadays, they are trained as beasts of burden by Homesteaders, replacing the need for oxen and draft horses.   Initially, the Homesteaders ignored the varying Taurus herds near their lands. They held cattle in plains and chased off any predators that came near these areas. Then, in YY 14, a Homesteader discovered a Taurus herd had joined their cattle. The Science Department investigated and came to the conclusion that the species could be domesticated.   Since then, various Homesteaders have started protecting and training Taurus herds. While they do not use them for meat, except for after natural deaths, they do employ them for labour. While unsuited for riding, a Taurus Domesticis can be easily trained to pull or carry large loads. Many Homesteaders employ them when transporting cut trees, which they are more suited for than horses due to being less easily spooked.  

Research

The Science Department has performed experiments to analyse the various Taurus species, including autopsies on deceased specimen. They have concluded that despite none of the species being aggressive towards humans, only the Taurus Domesticis shows a strong domesticatable tendency. Intelligence-wise, they rank comparable to horses.   As for why the initial Taurus herd joined the cattle, the main theory is simply that it was a safe environment. With the Homesteaders protecting their cattle and chasing off predators, they created a safe area where the herd could live with less concern about being hunted. By joining the cattle directly, their strength in numbers added extra safety.
Scientific Name
Ymir Taurus Domesticus
Lifespan
16 - 23 Years
Conservation Status
Least Concern
Average Height
1.5 - 1.7 metres
Average Weight
340 - 880 kg
Average Length
2.6m
Average Herd Size
50~140 adult members
Aggression
None against humans, defensive against predators
Health Safety
Safe for consumption

The following is a Scribed transcription of a radio-conversation between two Homesteaders, submitted to the Science Department in YY 14.
████████████ > "Uhm, y'all? I got a problem with my herd."   ████████████ > "What, did some get eaten?"   ████████████ > "No, more like the other way 'round?"   ████████████ > "Uh... Your cows ate a predator?"   ████████████ > "No, I mean, my herd doubled in size? A Taurus herd joined them... I'm gonna inspect my herd, will shout if I get attacked."
The following Scribed conversation took place between the same individuals as the previous conversation. It started 813 seconds after the previous conversation ended.
████████████ > "Okay, still alive, no worries. They were real docile, even the bulls. Anyway, so some cows were limping a bit. So I was carefully inspecting hooves, and suddenly one of 'em Tauri walked up to me. Spooked me, but she just offered me her hoof. She had some thorns stuck in there, so I removed those, and then she just walked off 'gain."   ████████████ > "Aight. So first thing you do, is inform the Science Department. Second, you go home, get yourself a good bottle of 'shine, and celebrate discovering a domestic species."


Cover image: City Sunset Night by Artapixel

Comments

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Jul 4, 2021 08:50 by Bart Weergang

It's a fun article Michael. Where do I apply for security clearance to see beyond the black out blocks? Master of tooltips is at work again ;)

Jul 4, 2021 09:20 by Michael Chandra

I haven't fully designed the Security Clearance system yet, but Security Clearance 2 probably requires being at least a Major. (And I'm not intending to actually write that info. =P I imagine that if I ever lift security clearances on an article, it will receive a second version instead.)


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Jul 5, 2021 07:09 by Amélie I. S. Debruyne

Nice article! It's really fun that the taurus just decided to domesticate themselves :p I love how panic the guy was when he discovered that XD

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Jul 5, 2021 08:08 by Michael Chandra

Two parts confusion, one part panic, shaken, not stirred.   And another example of why the scientists are real happy to have the homesteaders around as guinea pigs.


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Aug 7, 2021 13:51

Great article, was a lot of fun to read. ^^ I can imagine that the taurus' have become important to the homesteaders for towing stuff. So, that makes me wonder, do they breed them too? If so, what's that process like?   Keep up the great work! :D

Aug 7, 2021 15:11 by Michael Chandra

Very politely. It's a form of matchmaking, pretty much. They're very gentle with the Tauri species, out of fear of teaching them to avoid humans, so they're excessively careful even when it comes to "nudgenudge here's a nice empty field and look, there's a nice member of your species no, maybe spend some time together?".


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Do you live in or near the United Netherlands? Are you a Shadowrunner, or other kind of criminal? Do you have teenage offspring that needs the ability to turn to crime themself? Say no more, our School of Hard Knocks is ready for you. From crafting molotov cocktails to learning how to pick a lock, we have all the classes your child needs to become a criminal in their own right. Corpslaves not to apply.